Albuquerque to Use Digital Billboards to Display Official Emergency Alerts

According to Clear Channel, the company’s digital billboards reach nearly 98.5 percent of adults weekly across the city.

by Steve Knight, Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
/
June 29, 2018

(TNS) - In a partnership with Clear Channel Outdoor Americas announced Thursday, the city of Albuquerque will start using digital billboards to display real-time emergency alerts throughout the metro area.

The new partnership allows the city to use Clear Channel Outdoor’s 44 digital billboards to instantly communicate safety and disaster preparedness information as part of its effort to protect residents and visitors during emergency situations.

According to Clear Channel, the company’s digital billboards reach nearly 98.5 percent of adults weekly across the city.

City and company officials announced the agreement during a news conference in front of Clear Channel’s digital billboard at Lomas Boulevard and High St. NE.

“We are proud to partner with the city of Albuquerque to enable the real-time dissemination of critical information via our digital billboards to the local community during emergency situations,” said Brenda Begley, Clear Channel Outdoor Americas vice president of sales for Albuquerque. “Our digital billboards serve as one of the most powerful broadcast mediums available to transmit critical information during crises, and Clear Channel Outdoor is committed to partnering with communities around the country to enhance safety and improve lives.”

Roger Ebner, the city’s director of emergency management, described the use of digital billboards as “extremely helpful” in providing essential information to the public.

“We’ve not had access to this in the past,” Ebner said. “We traditionally use television, radio and social media sites, but this will add one more platform for us to use, particularly for people driving cars who can’t be looking at their social media.”

Clear Channel and the city have previously worked together on a number of public safety awareness campaigns, including calling attention to the situation of missing children in the area.

Albuquerque joins a number of state and local emergency agencies across the country, including the cities of Boston, Des Moines and Minneapolis/St. Paul and the states of Florida and Maryland, that use Clear Channel media for safety messages.

With many educational organizations shifting their entire schedules to distance learning tools or full virtual environments indefinitely, never has the statement “we are all in this together” been more poignant.